New agents for bacillus Calmette-Guérin-refractory bladder cancer.

Bacillus Calmette-Guérin has been established as the primary treatment of high-risk non-muscle invasive bladder cancer. If patients do not respond or later recur, the most reliable treatment option is cystectomy. For those who are unwilling or unable to undergo this significant procedure, there is a multitude of alternative intravesical therapies. This article provides an overview of treatment options for patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer who have failed intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guérin therapy. It includes information on recent and ongoing trials and serves as a guide for clinicians regarding available therapies and a reference for researchers in this field.